30 Days to Better

Sometimes it does matter

The old adage that it doesn't matter what others think of you but only what you think of yourself is a load of crap.  And not just because it is old, or an adage. What IS an adage, anyway?

The healthy explanation is that other's perceptions of you do matter.  It's how the world judges you, how a prospective employer decided to hire you, or not.  It's how a new acquaintance decides if you appear clean and safe enough to invite over for a play date.

But sometimes, it isn't so healthy or just so clear cut. 

I care.  There. I said it.  I care about how other people see me, what they think of me.  You don't have to think my haircut is a great idea but you should see that I'm a decent and respectful/respectable person. 

I know there are people out there who don't like me that much and there are times when the orbit of our lives, the independently spinning orbits come narrowly close to intersecting and I am forced to face these people. 

It shakes me.  It unnerves me.  It makes me paranoid and childlike. 

Sometimes it does matter and I care about my impression on the world.

30 Days to Better Self Esteem

Is your self-esteem tied unnaturally to the number on the scale?  Mine is, sometimes.  I know many great people who battle this issue daily as well. Do you hate your legs or your flabby arms or that roll of chub that lazily hangs over the waistline of your jeans serving no other purpose but to remind you of how many missed workouts?  You aren't alone.  Perhaps for you it isn't physical, perhaps you just don't value yourself in your current job, relationship or lifestyle.  Do you allow the media's devaluing of stay at home mothers to wear on your own views of yourself?  

I am vowing to spend the month of March exploring ways to make myself and YOU feel better about who we are and what we are doing in this life. 

It is often said that if we don't love ourselves, who will.  A statement made with a bit of triteness perhaps but it is true.  Working to maintain and rebuild self-esteem is directly linked to how much respect we show ourselves, our minds, our bodies.  It ranges from eating healthy foods to feeding our bodies with knowledge, relaxation, and sleep to treating others respectfully and demanding the same for ourselves. 

I hearby declare the month of March to be Self-Esteem Month. 

I feel good about myself because I KNOW I am a good mother and I take care of my body.  I will feel better about myself if I carve out some time for exercise (regularly!) and build more emotional intimacy with my husband. 

Now you: What do you love most about yourself and what do you want to improve?